1. Family and Background
Born into a prominent British aristocratic family with ties to the British royal family, Alexander Lascelles's immediate family includes his parents and siblings, notably an elder brother whose birth before their parents' marriage uniquely impacts the line of succession.
1.1. Parents
Alexander Lascelles is the son of David Lascelles, 8th Earl of Harewood, and his first wife, Margaret Rosalind Messenger, known as Margaret, Viscountess Lascelles. His father, David Lascelles, succeeded to the Earldom of Harewood as the 8th Earl.
1.2. Siblings
Alexander Lascelles is the second son of his parents. He has an elder brother whose birth occurred prior to their parents' marriage. Under the rules of succession governing British peerages, legitimate birth within marriage is typically required for inheritance. Therefore, despite being older, his elder brother is not in the line of succession to the Earldom of Harewood, making Alexander the current heir apparent to the earldom. He also has other siblings.
2. Career
Alexander Lascelles has established a professional career primarily in the culinary arts, extending his passion for food into educational endeavors.
2.1. Chef
Professionally, Lascelles is recognized as a chef. His work in the culinary field forms the core of his career.
2.2. Educational Activities
Beyond his professional cooking, Lascelles has been involved in food education. He has taught about food at the John of Gaunt School in Trowbridge, sharing his knowledge and passion for the subject.
3. Personal Life
Alexander Lascelles's personal life is characterized by his relationships and the births of his three children, a son with a former girlfriend and a daughter and son with his wife Annika.
3.1. Children
Lascelles has three children. He has a son with his former girlfriend, Laleh Yeganegy. Following his marriage to Annika, he has a daughter, born in 2018, and another son, born in 2023.
4. Titles and Succession
Alexander Edgar Lascelles holds the courtesy title of Viscount Lascelles as the heir apparent to the Earldom of Harewood. This position is significant because his elder brother was born before his parents' marriage, which precludes him from inheriting the earldom under the traditional rules of succession for hereditary peerages.
In addition to his place in the peerage, Alexander Lascelles is also part of the line of succession to the British throne. As a great-great-grandson of George V, he holds a position in the complex line of succession. He was noted as 53rd in the line of succession to the British throne in 2014, and is more recently recorded as 64th, a position that fluctuates with births and deaths within the British royal family. Through his lineage, he is a second cousin once removed to Charles III, the reigning monarch, and a tenth cousin to Prince William, Prince of Wales.
5. Ancestry
Alexander Lascelles, Viscount Lascelles, has a notable ancestry that connects him to the British royal family through his paternal lineage. He is a great-great-grandson of George V, who reigned as King of the United Kingdom and Emperor of India. This direct connection makes him a second cousin once removed to Charles III, the current monarch, and a tenth cousin to Prince William, Prince of Wales. His paternal great-grandmother, Mary, Princess Royal and Countess of Harewood, was a daughter of King George V, solidifying his familial ties to the Crown.
His four-generation ancestry is as follows:
- 1. Alexander Lascelles, Viscount Lascelles
- 2. David Lascelles, 8th Earl of Harewood (Father)
- 4. George Lascelles, 7th Earl of Harewood (Paternal Grandfather)
- 8. Henry Lascelles, 6th Earl of Harewood (Paternal Great-Grandfather)
- 9. Mary, Princess Royal (Paternal Great-Grandmother)
- 5. Marion Stein (Paternal Grandmother)
- 10. Erwin Stein (Paternal Maternal Great-Grandfather)
- 11. Sophie Bachmann (Paternal Maternal Great-Grandmother)
- 4. George Lascelles, 7th Earl of Harewood (Paternal Grandfather)
- 3. Margaret Rosalind Messenger (Mother)
- 6. Edgar Frank Messenger (Maternal Grandfather)
- 12. Joseph Messenger (Maternal Paternal Great-Grandfather)
- 13. Phoebe Barnes (Maternal Paternal Great-Grandmother)
- 7. Margaret Alice Black (Maternal Grandmother)
- 6. Edgar Frank Messenger (Maternal Grandfather)
- 2. David Lascelles, 8th Earl of Harewood (Father)